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5 Stocks Setting Up to Break Out

One stock that looks poised to trigger a major breakout trade is
Durect(DRRX), which is focused on the development of pharmaceutical products based on its proprietary drug-delivery technology platforms. This stock has been hit hard by the bears during the last three months, with shares off by 21%.

This company has a major catalyst on the horizon, since it is preparing to submit a new drug application in the first quarter of 2013 for Posidur, a post-operative anesthetic that utilizes its patented Saber technology.

If you take a look at the chart for Durect, you'll notice that this stock has just started to trade back above both its 50-day moving average at 96 cents and it 200-day moving average at $1.01 a share with strong upside volume flows. Volume over the last three trading sessions (all up days) has registered either very close to or well above its three-month average volume of 468,602 shares. That action has now pushed shares of DRRX within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DRRX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $1.15 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above $1.15 a share with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 468,602 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then DRRX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $1.42 to $1.71 a share.

Traders can look to buy DRRX off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of 96 cents per share or near some key support at 92 cents per share. One could also buy DRRX off strength once it takes out $1.15 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits close to its 200-day moving average of $1.01 a share.